This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for detachably securing either the cover or the seat and cover elements of a toilet in the raised or substantially vertical position.
Conventionally, a toilet seat is pivotally hinged to the toilet bowl adjacent the rear thereof so that the seat can be situated in the substantially horizontal position upon the open upper side of the bowl, or alternatively, can be raised and moved over center to rest against the front of the toilet tank or some such similar support.
Also, a cover or lid is pivotally secured, normally to the same hinging mechanism, in order to cover the open seat or, alternatively, be raised either separately or with the seat to rest against the front of the tank or other support means depending upon design.
Normally, both the lid and seat are held in place by gravity inasmuch as when raised, the lid and/or seat are moved to the vertical position and then slightly over center so that the center of gravity of the seat and/or lid is positioned to hold the seat and/or lid in the raised position against the support whether it be the front of the tank or other support means.
When in the upper position, both the seat and cover are relatively secure given proper design of these elements and the support. However, if a seat or lid is replaced with one of different dimensions or if a decorative, sometimes padded, cover is added to the lid or even if the alignment of the support means such as the tank, relative to the bowl is altered, then a condition often occurs where the said seat and/or lid may not remain in the raised position as desired but tend to fall by gravity to the lowered, substantially horizontal position, sometimes unexpectedly.
The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing a selectively operable latching device which can be used to retain either the cover or the seat and cover in the raised position against the tank or other supporting means.
The device may either be actuated automatically by the raising and lowering of the lid or seat and lid combination or, alternatively, can be in the form of a turnbuckle once against manually operated, which may be engaged or disengaged with the lip of the cover or seat, said device being secured to the front of the tank or other supporting means.